“The Trees in Honor Project”, a grand plan to raise society’s collective consciousness of the true cost of freedom, while honoring our soldiers in a beautiful and heartfelt way

  FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ - 08/03/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Arizona artist and sculptor, Brian Schader, while discussing gratitude with his wife Madiha last Thanksgiving, revisited an idea he had some years ago about creating a sculptural tree with dog tags as leaves. They wanted to begin another project to honor our military and, this time, do it in a big way.
Back in 2009, Schader had introduced his “Sentinel” series in which it was his desire to bring awareness and tribute to our soldiers with a stoic sculptural form of steel, stone and glass. To this day, the artist continues to add new works in his “Sentinel” series but decided it was time to create a more explicit form that more of the American public could relate to.

In January, as part of the artist’s “Garden of Life” series  Schader built a model “Tree in Honor.” It is an 8’ tall, by 5’ in diameter, beautiful, silver tree bearing a thousand blank dog tags as leaves. While setting it up for a photo shoot at the Veterans Memorial in his home town of Fountain Hills, Arizona, the response from passersby was overwhelming. 

“It was at that point I knew there was no turning back. The expression I had created needed to be in front of the American public, and I would make it my mission to see that it happened.”  - B. Schader

Schader’s mission is to create a "Contemplation Area” around a visually and audibly inspiring work of art. He wants to create a "Military Family Tree" for every community in the Nation, and have it be an awe-inspiring visual reminder of our soldiers sacrifices, and a tool to educate our children. 

“I want a place in every city for people to reflect upon what freedom means to them. It will be a quiet spot surrounded by benches, beneath a giant, gently soothing wind chime made up of thousands of shimmering dog tags. It will be what it needs to be, for those who worry or those who mourn. It will be display of thousands of motion-filled leaves above, and of golden, still, fallen soldiers' leaves beneath the "Tree in Honor." It will be a space to create a dialogue with our children about patriotism, loss and honor and a space to feel the magnitude of the collective sacrifice of every soldier from the past to the future, all for a way of life we frequently take for granted.” It will be a “Forever Project” in which soldiers that have not even been born yet can be honored with their name on a tag in a “Tree in Honor” when their time comes."   - B. Schader

The Artist's father, Larry Schader, served in the United States Army during the Second World War and his brother Barry served in the Navy during peacetime. The Project stems from the fact that Schader had the privilege of becoming a professional artist at the age of 19 as a result of the many young men and women who signed up to fight for his right to be that artist.

"The mere thought of soldiers risking their lives for our freedom, returning home and finding themselves unable to receive basic healthcare in a timely manner, through our VA Hospitals, is, in and of itself, inspiration enough, and that's just one example of the many struggles that should not exist."    -B. Schader

Through the formation of the Trees in Honor committee, the artist’s vision was born. The committee has developed a very comprehensive outline for implementation, including how families can sponsor a soldiers tag to be put on or under their community’s Tree in Honor, how municipalities can accept a tree for display and how Veterans service organizations will be involved in the care and continued mission of the project. The committee is currently working on their website, so if you’d like to know more, please visit their Facebook page: 
https://www.facebook.com/Trees-in-Honor-1035458156545870/home